Google Books

Google Books is an attempt by Google to scan all books, either in print or out of print. For books that are protected under copyright law Google has provided small parts of the book to ensure that the searcher has found what they are looking for as well as links to websites that they can buy the book. For books that are not protected under copyright Google provides access for individuals to read the entirety of these books. Google has faced a barrage of legal battles over publishing companies as well as authors over the Google Book project. Google has tried to create a system which does not infringe on the rights of book owners and stringently opposes the idea that they are doing wrong to these writers and publishers.

Google has already scanned 100X this many books

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Scanning Books

So far Google has scanned well over 15 million books(out of roughly 130 million) and plans to finish the rest of them by 2020. Books are put through a scanner and the pages are ‘read’. After it is put through the scanner it is ‘read’ by a computer program which converts the image into characters using optimal character recognition. It is then stored in a database for use on Google Books.

Books Not Available

For books that Google does not have permission to display, it provides a snippet of the book. This snippet can range from a few pages to a couple hundred pages. Google's Partner Program makes more than a few sentences available for user viewing online. This program is an agreement between Google book owners to entice their readers into buying a copy of the book. Consequently, a list of online retailers who are selling this book, along with a list of libraries with the book available for renting, is made available. Additionally, there is a list of related books. The page also contains reviews of the book as well as a links to all the other books written by the same author.

Books For Public Use

Books that are in the public domain or have been released by their owner for use in this project are fully available. These virtual books are fully searchable and available as a PDF file or just as it was scanned. Google also provides the same reviews, ratings, and related books on the page. There are also opportunities to buy either a digital copy or a hard copy at a variety of retailers. The intent is to provide individuals with access to works they may not have otherwise had access to.

Google in Court

Starting in 2005, Google began experiencing legal trouble with regard to its use of scanned material. Google had been providing its users with access to books that, although out of print, still had active copyright laws. Google has attempted to make settlements with the Author’s Guild and there has been much progress. However a US District Court ruled that resulting terms were not “fair, adequate, and reasonable”. Google offered to give book owners a flat rate per book plus royalties on the advertising done on the book's page, totaling 63% of revenue. The agreement that was settled on would ensure that Google does not put books currently in print available for full viewing unless there is explicit consent by the copyright owners. For all books that are out of print, Google can create and sell/ provide these books for free. This agreement would also free Google from any infringements it has accrued before this time. Any author who did not like these terms may opt out of any or all of Google Books features including the complete removal of said book from the database. Because Google is the only entity scanning vast amounts of works, the court ruled this would be unfair because Google would almost have a monopoly over unclaimed books.

Partners In Digitizing

Google began asking university libraries in 2004, receiving permission from well known institutions such as the University of Michigan, Harvard, and Oxford Universities. Today there are over 20 institutions in several countries providing Google with books to digitize. Many of these institutions have gone on to create the Hathi Trust Digital Library, which has many similar functions to Google Books . Hathi Trust is being sued in a separate case by the Authors Guild .

Benefits for Society

Upon completion (near completion because there will always be more books being produced) of this project all of the books of today will be archived. This digitalization will protect these works against aging effects. Even more importantly than that, it will provide individuals access to a multitude of books that were once available to only a small audience. This project will also provide access to literature that would not have been available to parts of the world. By including features that allow individuals to search through any document, Google will also make it easier to find information within a larger scope.

Ethical Concerns

The legal battle between Google and many publishing firms stems from copyright issues. On the web, a rising concern has been people who pirate copyrighted material. The web is a place where information can be easily obtained, whether legally or illegally. The lawsuits against Google, speak towards the controversial, but innovative, program they are attempting to implement. As this program begins to progress, the issue of copyrighted material will surely be a concern for those involved.